Caitlin Clark Sends Message on Rick Carlisle, Pacers Before NBA Finals' Game 4

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Caitlin Clark Sends Message on Rick Carlisle, Pacers Before NBA Finals' Game 4 originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Indiana basketball fans' mood improved on Friday.

Not only are the Indiana Pacers looking to take a 3-1 lead against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals, but Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark also got cleared to play on Saturday against the New York Liberty.

Clark has been out for three weeks with a left quad injury. She will make her return to the court on Saturday to face the team (Liberty) that hurt her.

After the Fever finished practice on Friday, Clark spoke about her return to the court and said she's looking forward to playing with her teammates again.

The All-Star guard also sent a strong message about Rick Carlisle and the Pacers.

"I don't think Rick gets, you know, enough credit for what he's been able to do," Clark said. "Obviously, one of the best coaches of all time. Has a great basketball mind. And the way they play basketball is not, you know, not a lot of people still play that way in today's world.

"And I think it's, I think young kids, like if you watch basketball, you turn on and watch the Pacers. It's unselfish. They play for each other. They play fast. They play up-tempo. They do things the right way. Whether you're a starter or whether you're coming off the bench, you're giving everything you can to your team."

Clark and Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton are close friends.

The two Indiana stars are in a group chat together and talk all the time.

"Ty and I would both tell you this is where we both hope to stay the rest of our careers," Clark told ESPN. "People are like, 'It's a small market.' But no, that's what makes it fun. These people, this is what means the world to them."

Clark is averaging 19.0 points and 9.3 assists for the Fever so far this season. It will be fascinating to see how she plays on Saturday after missing so much time.